February 8, 2023

Chinese Surveillance Balloon Saga Suggests Potential LEO Disruption (Source: Quartz)
The aerial surveillance balloon that briefly captured the world’s imagination poses an interesting question for followers of satellite Earth observation. US government sources who say the balloon was surveilling American military facilities also believe sensors on Chinese spacecraft could gather much the same information as high-altitude balloons. However, it’s becoming clear that this was no one-off, and that China has mounted a significant campaign using these platforms to snoop over Japan, India, Taiwan and the Philippines as well.

The key feature that government and independent observers cite, however, is that it is far cheaper to put sensors on a high-altitude balloon than to launch them into space on a rocket, where they will be 20 times further from what they’re looking at or listening to. This is disruption, or what the US military might call an asymmetric threat. Naturally, there is a company for that. World View is Tucson, Arizona-based operator of high-altitude balloons. In recent years, it has tried to capitalize on interest in space tourism by comparing its efforts to Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic. (2/9)

NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Releases 2022 Annual Report (Source: Space Daily)
The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), an advisory committee that reports to NASA and Congress, issued its 2022 annual report, examining the agency's safety performance, accomplishments, and challenges over the past year. The report highlights 2022 activities and observations on NASA's Strategic Vision and Guiding Principles; Agency Governance; and Program Management. Click here. (2/8)

Defense Management Institute Looks to Centralize Unwieldy DoD Management (Source: FNN)
Managing 3 million people worldwide, 33 different agencies and arguably the world’s most complicated acquisition program requires a correspondingly sophisticated management system, and the Defense Department keeps trying to up its game. The Defense Management Institute (DMI), unveiled on Jan. 31, marking a new effort at updating and improving management practices.

The DMI’s mission includes developing a pool of experts from federally-funded research and development centers to include think tanks, academia, and the private sector. The non-profit organization also has a mandate to conduct research on management issues and build a library of resources centered on defense management issues. (2/7)

Maxar Receives $192 Million Contract to Supply Imagery to U.S. Allies (Source: Space News)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) awarded Maxar a five-year contract worth up to $192 million to supply satellite imagery to U.S. allied countries, the company announced Feb. 8. The contract is an NGA initiative to provide commercial satellite imagery to partner nations. The agency did not disclose what countries or how many are being supported under this contract. NGA since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has played a central role coordinating the flow of commercial geospatial intelligence to Ukraine and multiple allied countries.

Maxar under the new contract will supply high-resolution electro-optical, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and 3D data products. U.S. allies will have on-demand access to high-resolution satellite imagery and analytics, the company said. They also will get Maxar’s enhanced 3D immersive maps that combine satellite imagery with video to replicate real-world locations. (2/8)

SpaceX Prepares for a Massive Test: Firing All 33 Starship Engines at Once (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said Wednesday the company plans to attempt a major Starship milestone this week. SpaceX on Thursday will attempt a “static fire,” simultaneously testing all 33 engines that sit at the base of Starship’s rocket booster. The company conducted a test firing of 14 of those engines in November, as it pushes to make an orbital launch attempt with a Starship prototype.

While SpaceX had hoped to conduct the first orbital Starship launch as early as summer 2021, delays in progress and regulatory approval have pushed back that timeline. SpaceX needs a license from the FAA in order to launch Starship, with Shotwell saying “I think we’ll be ready to fly right at the timeframe that we get the license.” But on the development side, Shotwell said there have been “no big problems” that caused those delays. (2/8)

Small Launch Industry Warns of “Bloodletting" (Source: Space News)
While demand for launches of smallsats is higher than ever, industry officials warned that price pressures and lack of access to capital could cause many companies to go out of business in the near future. Executives with several launch companies said during a panel at the SmallSat Symposium in Mountain View, California, Feb. 7 that they are seeing strong demand for launch services but are struggling to make money as competition, particularly from SpaceX, drives down prices.
 
“I’ve been in the space business now for almost 30 years,” said Marino Fragnito, senior vice president and head of the Vega business unit at Arianespace. “I have never seen so much business. I have never seen so much demand for launches.” However, he said it was currently difficult for his company and others to make money launching small satellites. “If we talk about 50 kilograms, 100 kilograms, this kind of satellite size, this is the size of the Transporter missions,” he said, referring to the series of SpaceX Falcon 9 dedicated rideshare launches. “The reference price is the Transporter price. With that price, nobody will make money.”

SpaceX currently charges $275,000 to launch a 50-kilogram smallsat to sun-synchronous orbit on a Transporter mission, far less than list prices for many dedicated smallsat launch vehicles. Those launches, taking place three to four times a year, can carry 100 or more satellites each. (2/8)

Shotwell: Ukraine Leveraged Starlink's Commercial Service for Military Uses (Source: Space News)
Shotwell also said that Ukraine had "weaponized" Starlink services that SpaceX had provided to the country after Russia's invasion. Shotwell said that after SpaceX started giving Starlink terminals and capacity to Ukraine, they "leveraged it in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement." She said later that involved using Starlink to control drones used in attacks on Russian forces. SpaceX has since taken steps to limit the use of Starlink for offensive military operations but did not elaborate. While SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has complained that SpaceX is losing money on Starlink even as it donates capacity to Ukraine, Shotwell said she expected Starlink to make money this year. (2/9)

Viasat Exploring Direct-to-Handset Services (Source: Space News)
Viasat is looking at ways to provide direct-to-handset services using satellites in geostationary and other orbits. Mark Dankberg, CEO of Viasat, said it is studying how to provide those services, potentially using satellites from Inmarsat, which Viasat is in the process of acquiring. He said Viasat is also open to working with LEO satellite constellation operators, including SpaceX. Dankberg called providing communications directly to smartphones "one of the biggest potential markets" but one that carries with it geopolitical issues. (2/9)

Changes Come Slowly for DoD Commercial-Focused Acquisition (Source: Space News)
Changes in Defense Department procurement policies to make greater use of commercial capabilities could take years to adopt. There is a major push at high levels of the Pentagon to change the procurement culture, including efforts by the Space Force to use commercial services instead of building satellites in-house. However, during a conference panel Wednesday, officials acknowledged it will take time for those changes to take effect, citing a “natural latency” in the procurement system. The budgeting process alone means it could take three to four years for a proposed idea to become an actual funded program. (2/9)

Skeptical Investors Want More Reality From Startups (Source: Space News)
Investors are placing more demands on space startups seeking funding. At the SmallSat Symposium this week, investors said there is a "dosage of reality" coming to the industry after a surge of interest in the field from investors a couple years ago. Investors who say they have not seen the upside they expected from earlier investments are more skeptical, and seeking more data before making investments. That includes asking companies to demonstrate they have a viable business model with both commercial and government customers. "Founders no longer can just get away with some crazy story," said one investor. (2/9)

Russia Launches Cargo Craft to ISS (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A Progress cargo spacecraft is on its way to the ISS after a launch early Thursday. A Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 1:15 a.m. Eastern and delivered the Progress MS-22 spacecraft into orbit. The Progress is scheduled to dock with the ISS early Saturday. The spacecraft is carrying 2.5 metric tons of supplies and other cargo for the station. (2/9)

Firefly Plans May "Responsive" Launch From California (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace is planning a launch of a Space Force mission in May. The company's CEO said at the SmallSat Symposium Tuesday its next Alpha launch will take place then, demonstrating its ability to place a payload into orbit on 24-hours' notice. Firefly won a $17.6 million contract in September to launch a Millennium Space small satellite to low Earth orbit, a so-called Tactically Responsive Space mission that is part of a broader effort by the Space Force to accelerate the timeline for deploying payloads to orbit. Alpha reached orbit on its second test flight last October after the rocket's September 2021 inaugural launch failed. (2/9)

AWS Allowing Ground Station Expansions (Source: Space News)
AWS Ground Stations is enabling ground station provider Atlas Space Operations to dramatically expand its network. Atlas operates 15 ground stations around the world, and through AWS is gaining access to 11 more. Atlas says the additional antennas will provide flexibility for its customers. (2/9)

Ground Station Providers Urge Earlier Use Planning by Satellite Operators (Source: Space News)
Ground station providers say that startups need to plan use of their capabilities earlier in their development. In some cases, startups approach ground segment providers one month before launching their first satellites, executives of several providers said on a conference panel, which is often too late given the long lead times for regulatory filings. They advised startups to begin speaking with ground segment providers as soon as possible. (2/9)

OHB's LuxSpace to Add Hosted Payloads to Triton-X Satellite (Source: Space News)
OHB subsidiary LuxSpace will fly hosted payloads on its upcoming Triton-X Genesis mission. The spacecraft, scheduled to launch to low Earth orbit later this year on a Momentus Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle, will test key components of the company's Triton-X small satellite platform. Among the payloads on that spacecraft will be actuators from a German company, DcubeD, that will be tested on the mission. (2/9)

AST SpaceMobile Announces Collaboration with Brazil's TIM (Source: Space Daily)
AST SpaceMobile signed of a non-binding memorandum of understanding with TIM, one of Brazil's leading mobile network operators, with the aim of increasing the scope of cellular connectivity and bringing space-based coverage to Brazil. AST SpaceMobile's solution is being designed to get mobile devices online where cell tower coverage does not exist and without modifications to users' cellular devices such as software, hardware, or expensive add-ons like satellite dishes.

The MoU would also support testing of AST SpaceMobile's space-based technologies by TIM for providing 4G data and voice services in Brazil. TIM's first technical tests and initial evaluation of AST SpaceMobile's planned solution are expected to take place in Brazil's North and Northeastern regions, aiming for the first half of 2023, subject to various factors, including obtaining regulatory approval. (2/9)

Ring Around Quaoar Puzzles Planetary Scientists (Source: New York Times)
Planetary scientists are puzzled by the presence of a ring around a distant Kuiper Belt object. Scientists reported this week the discovery of the ring around Quaoar, an object a little less than half the diameter of Pluto orbiting beyond Neptune. The ring appears to be uneven, varying in width from a few kilometers to a few hundred kilometers. The ring is far enough from Quaoar that the particles should have combined into a small moon, but the existence of another moon orbiting Quaoar, along with the difficulties of getting objects to coalesce in the cold temperatures of the outer solar system could explain why the ring exists. (2/9)

Lance Bass Podcast Focuses on Space (Source: Deadline)
Two decades after he tried going into space, Lance Bass is going into space podcasting. Bass, a former member of the pop group NSYNC, will host a podcast debuting later this month about Sergei Krikalev, who launched to the Mir space station in 1991 as a Soviet cosmonaut and remained on board until after the Soviet Union collapsed. In 2002, Bass trained for a flight to the ISS as a space tourist, but the financing for the mission fell through, grounding Bass. (2/9)

Vulcan Rocket Stacked for Inaugural Launch (Source: Space Daily)
Embarking on a bold new era to broaden affordable access to space, the inaugural United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket now stands assembled at its Florida launch site for pre-flight testing. ULA technicians successfully stacked the all-American rocket atop the Vulcan Launch Platform (VLP) in the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in preparation for the first launch, called Certification Flight-1. Teams used processes and procedures evolved from time-proven Atlas V operations to perform the activities known as Launch Vehicle on Stand (LVOS). (2/9)

Could Moon Dust Keep Earth Cool? (Source: Space Daily)
Whether out-of-the-box thinking or a sign of desperation, scientists on Wednesday proposed the regular transport of moon dust to a gravity point between Earth and Sun to temper the ravages of global warming. Ideas for filtering solar radiation to keep Earth from overheating have been kicking around for decades, ranging from giant space-based screens to churning out reflective white clouds.

A team of astronomers applied methods used to track planet formation around distant stars -- a messy process that kicks up vast quantities of space dust -- to Earth's moon. Computer simulations showed that putting lunar dust at a gravitational sweet spot between Earth and Sun "blocked out a lot of sunlight with a little amount of mass", said lead author Ben Bromley. (2/9)

Rocket Lab Adds to Non-Launch Product Line (Source: Space Daily)
Rocket Lab USA has released two new high-performance space systems products designed to increase the availability of essential satellite components to the global small satellite market. Bolstering the Company's existing line of proven satellite components, the new Rocket Lab products include the Frontier-X software defined radio designed to provide high speed data for both near Earth and deep space small satellite missions, as well as a new 12Nms reaction wheel designed specifically for constellation class satellites. The products join Rocket Lab's existing heritage space systems components including star trackers, reaction wheels, separation systems, radios, flight software, ground software, and solar power solutions. (2/9)

Camden County Spaceport Dream Scuttled by Georgia Supreme Court Ruling (Source: Georgia Recorder)
The Georgia Supreme Court upheld a referendum that blocked the development of a commercial spaceport in the state. The court ruled unanimously that a referendum held in Camden County last year, where voters prevented the county from purchasing land for the proposed Spaceport Camden, was constitutional. Opponents of the spaceport, concerned about the environmental impacts of launches and launch failures, cheered the ruling, saying it effectively kills the project. County officials said they would review their plans at a future county commissioners meeting. (2/8)

Atomos Tows a $16M Load of Funding to Create Tugboats in Space (Source: Tech Crunch)
You may not have known that space needs tugboats, but now you do — and Atomos Space just closed a $16.2 million Series A investment, which will enable the company to complete its demonstration mission where it will show off its docking and towing capabilities. The company is building a series of Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTV) that makes it possible to reposition satellites in space. The theory is that, by making it possible to move flying objects into different orbits, they don’t have to have full navigation capabilities themselves, which in turn should make operating spacecraft much cheaper.

The company claims its existence effectively halves the launch costs of satellite operators. The company is starting with high-powered electric propulsion systems, and is eager to share that it sees those propulsion methods as stepping stones for its nuclear OTV options, which would be able to travel faster and farther, and offering commercial mobility services. The company is also positioning itself to be able to use these technologies for asteroid deflection, effectively putting Harry Stamper out of a job. (1/27)

NASA Refining Artemis Exploration Architecture (Source: Space News)
NASA is still working to refine an architecture for the next phases of its Artemis lunar exploration campaign which it now expects to roll out in April. Speaking at a Space Transportation Association luncheon here Feb. 7, Jim Free, NASA associate administrator for exploration systems development, said there is still unfinished work from an architecture concept review held by the agency the week of Jan. 23 at the Kennedy Space Center to examine how to achieve a series of objectives for exploration of the moon and Mars that the agency developed last year.

NASA now plans to reconvene the participants of that review later this month, followed by taking the finalized architecture to the agency’s executive council in mid-March. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy will discuss the outcome of that effort at the Space Symposium conference a month later in Colorado Springs.

After that, he said NASA would release “one of the volumes” of the architecture definition document. That will focus on Artemis 2 through 5, a series of missions to the moon that will run through late this decade. Artemis 2 will be the first crewed Orion mission, taking astronauts to the moon. Artemis 3 will feature the first Artemis crewed landing, while Artemis 4 and 5 will include both crewed landings and assembly of elements of the lunar Gateway. (2/7)

Intuitive Machines Looks to Join SPAC Club (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Lunar lander builder Intuitive Machines looks to join the Space SPAC index this week. Shareholders are set to vote on its reverse merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. on Wednesday morning. If the deal goes through, the Houston-based company will begin trading on Nasdaq under the symbol LUNR. The merger is expected to generate $331 million for Intuitive Machines. NASA has awarded three lunar landing missions to the company under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. CLPS pays private companies to deliver agency-funded payloads to the Moon. (2/7)

Virgin Orbit Launch Failure Linked to $100 Filter Anomaly (Source: Space News)
A relatively inexpensive part may have caused the failure of Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne during a launch last month. Speaking at the SmallSat Symposium late Tuesday, company CEO Dan Hart said that while the investigation into the Jan. 9 launch failure is still in progress, evidence collected so far points to a filter, a "$100 part," in the second stage propulsion system that detached and "caused mischief downstream." The second stage shut down prematurely on that launch, preventing the payload from reaching orbit. Hart didn't estimate when the investigation would be completed but said the company was pressing ahead with preparations for the next LauncherOne mission from California "over the coming weeks." (2/8)

Space Force Likely to Get Another Boeing WGS Satellite (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is preparing to buy another wideband communications satellite from Boeing. The new geostationary satellite, WGS-12, will be the 12th of the Wideband Global Satcom constellation, providing communications services to the U.S. military and allies. The Space Force did not request funding for a wideband satellite in the 2023 budget, but Congress added $442 million to the final appropriations bill. The Space Force said WGS-12 would be a "build-to-print" version of WGS-11. (2/8)

Hispasat Commercial Satellite Hosted Space Force Payload (Source: Space News)
A Spanish communications satellite launched over the weekend carries a hosted payload for the Space Force. Hispasat's Amazonas Nexus satellite includes Pathfinder 2, a transponder that will provide the service with communications over the United States. A similar payload, Pathfinder 1, flew on an SES communications satellite. The Space Force has touted partnerships with commercial satellite operators to fill the growing demand for satcom services by military users. (2/8)

Exotrail Raises $58 Million for Thruster Products (Source: Space News)
Exotrail, a company that offers "space logistics" services, has raised $58 million. The French company announced the Series B round Tuesday, led by Bpifrance, European VC fund Eurazeo, and software engineering company CELAD. Previous investors also participated in the new round. Exotrail says the funding will allow it to scale up its current products, a line of electric thrusters and mission management software, while also developing an in-space transportation service. The company plans to nearly double its workforce in the next year as it expands into the U.S. and Asian markets. (2/8)

TSS Spacewalk Planned (Source: Xinhua)
Astronauts on China's space station are preparing for a spacewalk. The three-person crew in the Tiangong station will conduct a spacewalk "within the next few days," according to state media, but did not disclose a specific date or objectives for the spacewalk. It will be the first by the Shenzhou-15 crew, who arrived at the station in late November. (2/8)

KSAT Expanding Ground Station Network (Source: Space News)
Ground station company KSAT is significantly expanding its network by installing new antennas and by forging alliances with commercial partners. Four new antennas are being built in Antarctica at the KSAT Troll station, the commercial ground station serving spacecraft in polar orbit. KSAT is enhancing U.S. coverage with new ground stations in Hawaii, Alaska and the Southeast. KSAT is also working with providers such as Microsoft's Azure Orbital, AWS Ground Station and Comtech Korea to further expand its coverage. (2/8)

Executives Downplay Orbital Debris Concerns (Source: Space News)
The space industry is downplaying concerns about the growth of orbital debris. Executives at a SmallSat Symposium panel Tuesday said they expect that a combination of new technologies, policies and business incentives to minimize debris creation will propel the industry forward despite congestion, hazards in orbit and the lack of global rules for sustainable space operations. Companies are increasingly willing to pay for space situational awareness services and support technologies that can enable autonomous maneuvers to avoid conjunctions. (2/8)

Russian Satellite Breakup Scatters More Space Debris (Source: Space.com)
Orbital debris continues to grow, though, with another satellite breakup. The Space Force's 18th Space Defense Squadron reported Monday that a Russian satellite, Cosmos 2499, broke up last month, creating 85 pieces of trackable debris at an altitude of about 1,170 kilometers. Cosmos 2499 launched in 2014 to test rendezvous and proximity operations, leading some to warn Russia was testing technology for ASAT weapons. (2/8)

Sateliot Links with Argentine Company to Monitor Power Lines (Source: Space News)
Sateliot, a satellite internet-of-things (IoT) company, announced a partnership Tuesday with a power line maintenance company in Argentina. The new service will allow the Argentine company, Sentrisense, to monitor sensors attached to electric towers or power lines, modify the amperage and quickly identify broken wires, fires or other dangerous conditions. Sentrisense devices have traditionally relayed data through cellphone towers but Sateliot will allow monitoring services to extend beyond the reach of terrestrial connectivity. (2/8)

India Narrows Site Options for Lunar Landing (Source: Hindustan Times)
India has narrowed down the landing sites for its next lunar lander mission. The Indian space agency ISRO has selected three possible landing sites, all in the south polar region of the moon, for the Chandrayaan-3 mission launching later this year. The primary location is a zone 4 by 2.4 kilometers between two craters. ISRO selected the potential sites based on criteria that included slope, boulder distribution and amount of time they are in sunlight. (2/8)

Here’s Why Europe is Abandoning Plans to Fly Aboard China’s Space Station (Source: Ars Technica)
Nearly six years ago the European Space Agency surprised its longtime spaceflight partners at NASA, as well as diplomatic officials at the White House, with an announcement that some of its astronauts were training alongside Chinese astronauts. The goal was to send European astronauts to China's Tiangong space station by 2022.

"We were welcomed as colleagues and friends by the ‘taikonauts’ and the instructors," said European astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. "Language and cultural differences are obviously a challenge, but also adds value, as we are all focused on the common goal of space exploration." European astronauts did not fly to the Chinese space station in 2022, however, even though China completed its construction before the end of the year. In fact, Europeans are now unlikely ever to do so, even as the Tiangong facility flies for another decade, or longer, in low-Earth orbit.

"For the moment we have neither the budgetary nor the political, let’s say, green light or intention to engage in a second space station—that is participating on the Chinese space station," ESA's Josef Aschbacher said. ESA's funding is less than one-third that of NASA. During its most recent budget cycle, although the space agency received an increase from member nations, it did not receive nearly all of the money it asked for. There is, accordingly, no funding to barter with China for access to Tiangong. (2/7)

Boeing is Cutting 2,000 HR and Finance Jobs, Outsourcing Some to India (Source: CNN)
Boeing plans to cut about 2,000 white-collar jobs in finance and human resources, and it will be shifting some of that work to an outside contractor in India. Although Boeing will reduce office staff, the company is preparing to add 10,000 employees focused on engineering and manufacturing.

The company said that job cuts will be accomplished through a combination of attrition and layoffs. Boeing said that the employees who will be laid off have yet to be notified. Some of work conducted by the staff being let go will be contracted out to Tata Consulting Services in Bengaluru, India, while other work will be eliminated through streamlining and simplifying processes. (2/7)

Stoke Space to Build SpaceX Raptor Engine’s Frst Real Competitor (Source: Teslarati)
Seattle startup Stoke Space has revealed plans to develop an efficient rocket engine similar to the Raptors that power SpaceX’s Starship. Formed in October 2019, Stoke Space secured its first significant round of funding – $9.1 million – less than two years ago. At that time, CEO and co-founder Andy Lapsa says that the startup had just five employees, no permanent workspace, and a “barren field” for a test site. Within 18 months, Stoke Space had turned that empty field into an impressive test facility, conducted numerous component tests, and assembled its first full-scale rocket engine – an exotic UFO-like device unlike any seen before.

It also raised another $65 million – enough funding to begin earnestly developing a potentially revolutionary rocket capable of launching 1.65 tons (~3600 lb) into orbit for less than half a million dollars. To realize that extremely ambitious goal, Stoke Space has taken the even more ambitious step of attempting to make the first rocket it develops fully reusable. Simultaneously, the company has incorporated several exotic technologies into that rocket, culminating in a surprise announcement that it will attempt to develop one of the most difficult types of engines to power that rocket’s booster stage. (2/7)

The Most Mysterious Part of the Moon Isn't Where You Think (Source: The Atlantic)
he far side of the moon has a certain mystique about it. It’s eternally out of view, never facing the Earth—which has earned it a misleading nickname, “the dark side,” as if sunlight never reaches its surface (it does). It’s the section of the moon we’ll never see for ourselves, not unless we hop on a spaceship and fly over there. But the really mysterious parts of the moon aren’t on the far side. They’re at the poles, where the sun always hovers near the horizon.

The lighting conditions create special circumstances: Hundreds of craters at the north and south poles never, ever receive direct sunlight, and so never feel the warmth of our star. They are, in astronomy parlance, permanently shadowed regions, and they’ve been that way, dark and frigid, for as long as billions of years. Astronauts have experienced the powdery surface of the moon up close, and space probes have mapped nearly every bit of the terrain from above—but none have peered into the depths of those pitch-black craters. With the right tools, astronomers hope, they’ll be able to peek inside and find something spectacular: water. (2/6)

Relativity Space Stacks 3D-Printed Rocket on Launch Pad Ahead of 1st Flight (Source: Space.com)
A 3D-printed rocket is once again fully assembled at the launch pad ahead of its debut mission. Relativity Space put together the stages of its expendable Terran 1 rocket, a two-stage small-lift vehicle, on the launch pad for "final ground tests" ahead of its debut flight, CEO Tim Ellis shared Monday. The debut Relativity mission is called GLHF (Good Luck, Have Fun) and will be a key launch test of the 110-foot Terran 1 before it flies customer payloads.

The company's rocket is 85 percent 3D-printed by mass and is said to be "the largest 3D printed object to exist and to attempt orbital flight" by the company. Eventually, they plan to create Terran 1 rockets that are 95 percent 3D-printed. The nine Aeon engines on the first stage of the rocket, along with the Aeon Vac engine on the second, are also all 3D-printed. They will use liquid oxygen as well as liquid natural gas, which is a rare combination in the industry. In fact, a natural gas-fueled rocket has not yet reached orbit successfully. (2/7)

Small Satellite Sector Should Prepare for Starship (Source: Space News)
Small satellite manufacturers should prepare for the emergence of rideshare flights on the SpaceX Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy launch vehicle, according to panelists speaking Feb. 7 at the SmallSat Symposium. “If you are not preparing for how you’re going to launch your product on Starship and how you’re going to change your business model to work with Starship, you are going to be in trouble,” said Abhishek Tripathi, mission operations director at the University of California, Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory. (2/7)

7 Limiting Beliefs Sabotaging Your Space Industry Marketing Earnings (Source: LinkedIn)
In the world of marketing in the new space industry, innovative thinkers are always looking for ways to explore new and exciting strategies. From advertising on social media platforms to branding an entire product line, entrepreneurs in the space industry are always striving to come up with the next big thing. Marketing online is one area that has recently gained traction in the space industry - specifically, branding, messaging, and other tactics to reach customers in this ever-evolving field. Click here. (2/6)

Spectrum Strategy Divides Emerging Direct-to-Smartphone Market (Source: Space News)
Executives with plans to connect satellites directly to smartphones sparred at the SmallSat Symposium Feb. 7 over which spectrum strategy will lead to success in this emerging market. At one end of the discussion, satellite operators such as Iridium Communications seek to use their existing spectrum resources to connect with upgraded smartphone models. On the other, companies including Lynk Global are developing constellations from scratch that would use frequencies from cellular partners to reach the billions of smartphones already in consumer pockets. (2/7)

Space Industry Undeterred by Congestion and Debris (Source: Space News)
More than 6,000 satellites are orbiting the Earth and 33,000 are projected to launch over the next decade. There are also tens of thousands of inactive objects, or space junk, requiring satellites today to have to maneuver through crowded debris fields. But the space industry does not expect its growth to be dampened by congestion or by a doom-and-gloom narrative, executives said Feb. 7 at the SmallSat Symposium in Mountain View, California.

During a panel discussion, executives said they expect that a combination of new technologies, policies and business incentives to minimize debris creation will propel the industry forward despite congestion, hazards in orbit, and the lack of global rules for sustainable space operations. “Last year was an interesting inflection point, when we started to see more satellite operators willing to pay for space traffic management services,” said Dan Ceperley, founder and CEO of LeoLabs, a U.S. company that uses ground-based radars to track objects in low Earth orbit. (2/7)

Exotrail Raises $58 Million to Expand Space Logistics Services (Source: Space News)
French space services company Exotrail has raised $58 million to scale up production of electric thrusters and expand efforts to provide in-space transportation services. The company says it will use the funding to scale up production of its existing spaceware line of electric propulsion systems and its spacestudio mission design software. It also plans to introduce a new line of operations software called spacetower as well as previously announced plans for a space logistics service called spacedrop. Exotrail refers to the combination of that software, propulsion and transportation services mobilityhub. (2/7)

Anuvu’s Small Satellite Constellation to Use Telesat Ground Infrastructure (Source: Space News)
Anuvu said Feb. 7 it is leasing ground infrastructure from Canadian satellite operator Telesat for a geostationary constellation it expects to start deploying this year. The U.S.-based mobile connectivity specialist said Telesat is installing new antennas at teleports in Ontario and Alberta, Canada, for controlling up to eight small satellites it plans to deploy for serving growing demand for Wi-Fi on boats, aircraft, and remote locations.

Astranis, a Californian company that specializes in small geostationary spacecraft, is on track to deliver Anuvu’s first two satellites for a mid-2023 launch aboard a single SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, according to Anuvu, enabling the company to begin commercial services before the end of this year. (2/7)

KSAT Expands Global Ground Network (Source: Space News)
Kongsberg Satellite Services is significantly expanding its satellite communications network by installing new antennas and by forging alliances with commercial partners. Four new antennas are being built in Antarctica at the KSAT Troll station, the commercial ground station serving spacecraft in polar orbit. KSAT also is enhancing U.S. coverage with new ground stations in Hawaii, Alaska and in the continental United States, in the Southeast. The new U.S. capacity “is driven by direct customer interest in communication links to and from the United States.” (2/7)

5 Differences Between the U.S. Space Force and NASA (Source: Popular Mechanics)
The United States government has had two official space organizations since 2019: NASA and the U.S. Space Force. Both agencies are dedicated to enhancing the nation’s understanding and knowledge about the new frontier, but they each have a very different focus. And both groups launch and operate space vehicles—sometimes from the same bases—and share other resources, so it might be tempting to assume that the Space Force is simply NASA in different uniforms. Click here. (2/1)

Mining the Moon: The Implication of the Space Mining Boom on The Economy (Source: LinkedIn)
The Moon is a prime space mining target. Boosted by NASA’s mining solicitation, it is likely the first location for commercial mining. The Moon has several advantages. It is relatively close, requiring a journey of only several days by rocket and creating communication lags of only a couple seconds — a delay small enough to allow remote operation of robots from Earth. Its low gravity implies that relatively little energy expenditure will be needed to deliver mined resources to Earth orbit. The global space mining market is anticipated to reach $4.2 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 19.98% from 2021 to 2030. (2/7)

Korea, US Can Create Synergy in Space Industry (Source: Korea Times)
President Yoon Suk Yeol's ambitious vision to send a spacecraft to Mars by 2045 will be easier to achieve if Korea further strengthens cooperation with the United States, which has the world's leading space technology, according to a NASA ambassador. "NASA values international cooperation with other countries including Korea. This is because the cooperation can create synergy and technologies from other countries can greatly help NASA as well, such as increasing the success rate of space exploration. Space exploration needs to proceed in a way that can benefit both countries, and the Danuri lunar orbiter is a great success story," Paul Yun, NASA's solar system ambassador. (2/7)

NASA, DoD Practice Artemis II Contingency Splashdown Recovery (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The 5,000 mph reentry was a rough one and one of the four astronauts who just spent a week orbiting the moon has a spinal injury. “Backboard!” screams one of the rescue crew venturing into the Orion capsule floating in the water. That was the scenario being practiced by NASA’s Landing and Recovery team for Artemis II, which plans to fly humans beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time in more than 50 years as the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, an orbital trip around the moon and back.

The launch is not slated until 2024, but teams are already prepping for a safe landing at Kennedy Space Center. A massive crane lifted a stand-in for the Orion capsule called the Crew Module Test Article into the water adjacent the Vehicle Assembly Building and within sight of the launch pads at KSC as NASA and Department of Defense teams played out the “contingency rescue.” “They’ve got four guinea pigs in there,” said Mark Vazquez a program manager with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems based at KSC. “I’m sorry, astronauts.” (2/7)

Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo Reemerges From Hangar, Readied for Taxi Tests (Source: Parabolic Arc)
After a 15-month overhaul, Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve carrier aircraft is once again basking in the bright sunshine of the Mojave Desert as it prepares for taxi tests today. VMS Eve was outside its FAITH production facility at the Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field on a clear and chilly Monday morning being prepared for tests to evaluate a series of upgrades to the 14-year old mother ship. In the afternoon, VMS Eve made a short taxi test on runway 12-30. It then headed back to FAITH. (2/6)

Rocket Launches Pose a New Threat to the Ozone Layer (Source: Cosmos)
After all the years of hard work to restore the ozone layer, are rocket launches threating the success? In the past five years, the world has gone from launching 90 rockets annually to 130 – a number that we expect to keep increasing. But the effect of rocket emissions on the atmosphere is neither regulated internationally, nor closely tracked. A review in New Zealand has pointed out that rocket launches can damage the ozone layer, which absorbs much of the Sun’s UV rays in the Earth’s stratosphere. “The current impact of rocket launches on the ozone layer is estimated to be small but has the potential to grow as companies and nations scale up their space programmes,” says study co-author Dr Laura Revell. (2/6)

Turkey Earthquake Prompts United Nations to Activate Emergency Satellite Mapping (Source: Space.com)
The United Nations has activated its emergency mapping satellite service following a devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake caused widespread destruction throughout Turkey and northwest Syria, claiming the lives of thousands and injuring thousands more. In the wake of the damaging earthquake, the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) announced hat it has activated its emergency mapping service, which "provides satellite image analysis during humanitarian emergencies related to disasters, complex emergencies and conflict situations." (2/6)

Generation Space Launches Startup Accelerator in U.S. (Source: Reuters)
British space investment firm Seraphim Space said on Monday its unit, Generation Space, would provide 12 early-stage U.S. startups with a potential to access funding of more than $150 million in total through a new accelerator program. The 12-week accelerator will focus on startups working in sectors ranging from climate technology and defense to communications and mobility. Startup accelerators support early-stage companies through education, mentorship and financing. (2/6)

Space Force Plans Massive Soil Cleansing to Remedy Fuel Leak on Maui Summit (Source: Stars and Stripes)
A vast amount of contaminated soil must be removed after a catastrophic storage tank failure last week saturated the ground with diesel fuel at a mountaintop observatory on Maui operated by U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific, its commander said. Workers will remove 200 cubic yards of soil to a depth of 6 feet, Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir said during a news conference at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, where the spill occurred on Jan. 29. At that point, samples will be taken to assess how much more soil will need to be removed, he said. (2/7)

SpaceX’s Starlink Licensed in Rwanda (Source: Space in Africa)
Rwanda Space Agence (RSA) has announced that Starlink has been licensed and approved to provide internet services and high-performance connectivity to Rwanda through its constellations of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. (2/6)

SpaceX Put a Tesla Sportscar Into Space Five Years Ago. Where is it Now? (Source: CNN)
It’s now been half a decade since SpaceX turned heads around the world with its decision to launch Elon Musk’s personal Tesla roadster into outer space, sending the car on an endless journey into the cosmic wilderness where it’s expected to remain for millennia to come. As of Monday, February 6, the cherry-colored sports car has officially been in space for exactly five years.

At the time of its anniversary, data estimates show that it had completed about three and one quarter loops around the sun and was positioned about 203 million miles from Earth. The roadster has logged more than 2.5 billion miles in space, mostly through a barren vacuum. Though, in 2020, the vehicle made its first close approach to Mars, passing within 5 million miles of the planet, or about 20 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. (2/6)

Midland Texas Group Authorizes New Agreement with InterFlight Global for Spaceport Support (Source: Midland Reporter-Telegram)
Members of the Midland Development Corp. opened their February monthly meeting welcoming new member Zachary Deck. Deck, who also serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission, fills the vacancy left by Stephen Lowery, who stepped off the board after his term expired. Then board members got to work, first authorizing a consultant services agreement with InterFlight Global Corporation for a contract not to exceed $159,500 for work in helping procure new tenants for the Spaceport Business Park.

Board Chair Chase Gardaphe noted the agreement includes a price increase but pointed out that InterFlight has helped sponsor visitation tours of the Spaceport facilities, sponsored workshops and introduced the MDC to new tenants such as Firehawk Aerospace. In addition, he said InterFlight is sponsoring a high-speed aerospace transportation workshop this year. (2/6)

Georgia Spaceport Argument Escalates in Camden County (Source: Brunswick News)
Newly elected Camden County Commissioner Jim Goodman gets the distinct feeling that some of his fellow commissioners don't want to talk about Spaceport Camden. Goodman has tried to make a motion for the county to release all the financial information regarding the money spent on the spaceport only to be rebuffed by fellow commissioners. The county is being sued for an alleged breach of the Georgia Open Records Act for its refusal to release spaceport related records to the public.

Commission Chairman Ben Casey wants the records to remain confidential and wants new rules on how meeting agendas are set. Goodman said Casey wants at least three commissioners to approve any agenda item. Athens lawyer Kevin Lang, whose family owns property on Little Cumberland Island, said there are two "very significant" problems with the county's position. "There is no longer a pending real estate transaction, as the Union Carbide option agreement has expired and Union Carbide has publicly stated that it has no intention of selling its property to Camden County," Lang said.

"Even if there were a pending real estate transaction, the exception to Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) is only meant to protect certain limited information, which, if made public, would put the county at a competitive disadvantage in negotiating the transaction, like what they are willing to pay for the property. The county has absolutely abused this exception to GORA for eight years now, and the result is over $12 million being wasted on a project that was never commercially viable." (2/7)

Space Launch Cornwall: Council Paid £1 Million to Virgin Orbit (Source: Cornwall Live)
Cornwall Council has explained why it paid Virgin Orbit more than £1 million last month after the company used Spaceport Cornwall for its first European launch. While Cosmic Girl successfully took off from Newquay last month the mission ended in failure due to an anomaly in the LauncherOne rocket system which was carrying nine satellites. Since the event there has been speculation about how it was paid for and how much public money was spent on the launch from Cornwall Airport Newquay.

At a meeting of full council last week, Independent councillor Julian German asked Conservative Cabinet member Louis Gardner if Virgin Orbit had been paid by Cornwall Council for the launch. Cllr Gardner, Cabinet member for the economy, was unequivocal in his response stating: “Virgin Orbit were not paid by this council to do the first launch.” However, on the council’s contract register there is a contract with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit worth £1,163,102. This contract, originally awarded in May 2021, actually started on January 18 - eight days after the launch - and finishes on March 31.

The contract listing explains this “relates to Virgin Orbit UK Limited, a named core team party within the UK Space Agency Grant Funding Agreement identified to provide specialist services related to horizontal launch system handling and operations. Virgin Orbit have specialist engineering and technical knowledge related to the design, implementation and operation of the spaceport, expertise that is critical to the successful delivery of the spaceport program.” (2/7)

Japan to Postpone Launch of New Rocket Due to System Malfunction (Source: The Mainichi)
Japan's space agency said Monday it will postpone the launch of its new flagship rocket carrying a land observing satellite at least until Feb. 15 after it detected a glitch in its flight system. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said it expects it will take a few days to rectify the problem on its H3 rocket, delaying the maiden launch of the successor to its H2A rocket for a second time. (2/7)

India Plans Training Program for Human Spaceflight (Source: New Indian Express)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM), to help create a training module for their Indian Human Spaceflight Program (IHSP). IITM will help develop a training module for use by ISRO through the use of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) in ISRO’s human space flight programs. “Space programs always had linkages with academia and IIT Madras has a long history of contributing for ISRO’s program, including the human spaceflight program,” said ISRO’s Human Space Flight Center (HSFC) Director Umamaheswaran R. (2/7)

India's SSLV-D1 Launch Failure Leads to Changes to Ensure Second-Attempt Success (Source: Indian Express)
With the second development flight of ISRO’s new Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2) scheduled for February 10, a failure analysis report on why satellites were not injected in desired orbits during the August launch suggests that it was because of vibrations picked up by the accelerometers on-board, which led to the systems thinking that they were faulty.

With some changes made to the structures and internal logics, the satellite launch vehicle will carry ISRO’s own earth observation satellite EOS-07, AzaadiSat2 and Janus-1, weighing 334 kg, in a 450-km circular orbit later this month. The satellites on-board SSLV-D1 were placed in a highly elliptical orbit during the August launch due to a shortfall in velocity, with orbits decaying soon after, making the satellites unusable. This happened despite the first three solid stages working as they should. (2/7)

SpaceX Targeting Starship Orbital Flight Test In March (Source: Aviation Week)
Following a tanking test of the Starship/Super Heavy launch system and pending a successful static engine firing, SpaceX is targeting the first orbital flight test of its new super heavy-lift space transportation system for March. “If remaining tests go well, we will attempt a Starship launch next month,” SpaceX founder, CEO and chief engineer Elon Musk wrote on Twitter on Feb. 4.

Starship is a two-stage, Mars-class transport system in development at SpaceX’s privately owned Starbase spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas. With twice the thrust of NASA’s Saturn V and the Space Launch System Moon rockets, Starship/Super Heavy is poised to become the most powerful launch system ever built. (2/6)

Anuvu’s Small Satellite Constellation to Use Telesat Ground Infrastructure (Source: Space News)
Anuvu will lease ground infrastructure from Canadian satellite operator Telesat for a geostationary constellation it expects to start deploying this year. The U.S.-based mobile connectivity specialist said Telesat is installing new antennas at teleports in Ontario and Alberta, Canada, for controlling up to eight small satellites it plans to deploy for serving growing demand for Wi-Fi on boats, aircraft, and remote locations. (2/7)